Fallen
by DreamyLoner
Summary: "Every day, we collect souls. We watch them die without putting up a struggle. Even if they struggle, we trample on their last hope. We separate them from the loved ones. We take them away from this world." When an angel starts developing feelings for humans and his counterpart, he's destined to fall. Angel/Human AU. IceHong, Iggychu, DenNor
"Lukas Bondevik, male, nineteen, Norwegian, soul number 520236."

A dark silhouette landed on the grey rooftop. Silence.

Wings closed graciously. Feathers of pure blackness. They floated and dissipated into the frozen air.

"Mathias Kohler, male, eighteen, Dane, soul number 520235."

The light blond plodded down the street in his faded purple sweater. Amethyst eyes fixated on the phone screen. His right bang was clipped in a cross barrette. One gloved hand was lifted to brush a strand of hair behind his ear, his other hand clutched tightly in his partner's palm. The one next to him stood several inches taller. Spiky blond hair. Drooping eyes of azure. A dark crimson coat reached down to his thighs. He ran his fingers in his messy locks and smiled down at his lover.

"Ice." Leon beckoned to his companion, eyes fixated on the couple walking down the street. "Found them."

A pale figure landed gingerly next to the dark-haired boy, white feathers swept away by the winter breeze.

"In five minutes twenty three seconds, a truck will be coming down at the crossroads," Leon reported without a blink. "The brake is broken. It will crash right into the smaller guy but his boyfriend will step out to shield him. Both die of excessive blood loss."

Emil stared at the two boys strolling towards the crossroads. His brows furrowed.

"No," he muttered. His breath turned into frost. Snow sparkled on his pallid face. Those lavender orbs glimmered in the sunlight.

"What?" Leon turned to his partner.

"I'm not doing this job." Emil shook his head. Wings vanished into his back.

"What are you talking about?" Leon gasped and ogled his companion.

"We need to think of something…" Emil frowned. "To stop the truck."

"Are you alright?" Leon stood up from his crouching position.

"How long have we been doing this?" Emil glanced up at Leon, eyes glittering. The face that was normally devoid of expressions revealed a faint smile. "A hundred years? Two hundred? Or three?"

"Huh?'

"I'm exhausted. I don't wanna do this job anymore."

"Ice!"

"Every day, we collect souls. We watch them die without putting up a struggle. Even if they struggle, we trample on their last hope. We separate them from the loved ones. We take them away from this world."

"Don't tell me…" Leon stumbled back. "You've started feeling for these humans."

"I can't help it…" Emil bit his lips and stood up. His white, shimmering wings spread out in the air. "Am I fallen?"

Time ceased. Snowflakes teemed down from the sky and melted on their hair. Emil took a step forward. Leon blinked. His dark feathers mingled with Emil's. Their eyes met.

Mathias withdrew from the kiss and tilted his head. "Is something wrong?"

Lukas looked up at the gigantic building and gasped.

"Lukas?" The taller boy cupped his cheeks, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…" Lukas shook his head, still staring at the vacant rooftop, "Thought I just saw someone on the rooftop…"

"You're imagining things." Mathis chuckled and planted a chaste kiss on his forehead. "Let's head home. You're freezing."

The Norwegian nodded tentatively and took his lover's hand. They resumed walking.

"You're tainted," Leon mumbled. He held Emil close to him and sniffed, "I can detect a demon's scent on you."

Emil blushed and shoved Leon away. He covered his mouth and trembled.

This caused the other angel to twitch and clench his fists.

"You're blushing…" Leon gasped.

"No…" Emil shook his head and stumbled backwards, "I…I can't…I'm sorry, Leon…I just…couldn't resist it…"

"Who is he?" Leon loomed closer to his partner. "Who's this demon that has approached you?"

"I…I don't know…he called himself Yong Soo…" Emil fidgeted. "I couldn't remember his face…he caught me and then I started feeling weird…I started getting feelings I wasn't supposed to possess…"

"Like what? Sympathy? Empathy? Affection? Pain?" Leon strode towards Emil and clutched his wrists.

"Kill me, Leon," Emil cried. Tears streamed down his face. For the first time in his entire existence, he cried. Leon, seemingly unfazed, grasped his hands tighter and examined those gleaming stuff cascading down the ashen skin. Those pearls weren't supposed to be there. They only belonged to humans.

"Exterminate me, now." Emil pleaded, "Before I fall into hell, please, I can't accomplish this task. I will never be able to collect another human's soul again…"

"What does he want?" Leon scowled, "What is his motive?"

"He wants you!" Emil whimpered, "And in order to obtain you, he has to eliminate me."

"Fair enough." Leon released the wrists.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

He glimpsed the pair down below. Honking reverberated. A truck was steering away from the track.

"It's started." Leon peeked back at Emil. The white angel only shook his head.

"I can't do it…I can't…"

"Then stay." Leon flapped his wings and leapt into the air.

Screams. Blood. Death.

He could almost smell them.

"Lukas!" Mathias shrieked. Stomping footsteps. Cries. Tears.

Feathers in the air.

No.

The tyres screeched.

 ** _THUD!_**

An enormous dent formed on the truck. The vehicle halted. The head was distorted by an external force. Two bodies collapsed to the floor, gasping.

"What…the…" Mathis panted, arms wrapped tightly around Lukas' body. The shorter boy was paralyzed. There was only an inch between his feet and the truck's front left tyre.

"Someone! Help! There's a car accident!" People gathered and shouted for help.

Mathias and Lukas remained sitting on the floor. Hugging each other in astonishment.

"Why…" Emil stared incredulously at Leon. The dark angel only shrugged and rubbed his hands.

"You'll get punished." Emil grabbed his shoulders and shook them. "Why would you do that?"

"Because," Leon cooed and stared into the other's eyes solemnly, "you're not the only one fallen."

* * *

"Angel 701, failing task number 89334 and intervening with a human's fate, CONDEMNED." Alfred announced, "Accomplice, Angel 617, fallen for impure emotions and demonic temptations, CONDEMNED."

They kneeled in front of the court, hands bound by glowing chains. Tears rolled down Emil's face. Leon stared indifferently at the ground.

"Say, who are their mentors?" Alfred raised his voice and scanned the court.

An angel with short blond hair and emerald eyes stepped out. The unkempt bangs covered his thick eyebrows.

"I apologise for Emil's misdeed. He is young and immature. Easy to stray and fall to a demon's tricks," Arthur reasoned. "In my past mentorship, he has always been a devoted, disciplined follower of our Lord. He expresses sincere guilt and regret for the sin he has committed."

"He allowed a demon to manipulate him." Alfred raised his brows. "And he in turn coaxed his partner into failing the task on purpose, to save those two humans. Their intervention has stirred up an unnecessary commotion in the human world. No angels can be spared from misperforming their jobs to this great extent."

"But-"

"Please!" The door swung open and an angel of long, dark brown hair barged in.

"No one is permitted to interrupt the trial!" Alfred shouted.

"I'm Leon's mentor! Sorry I'm late!" Yao huffed and stopped next to Arthur, "I…I…I am here to beseech for mercy, my Lord! These two angels are so young they don't realise what they did cause distortion to the world. I apologise for their misbehaviour and am willing to take all the retribution upon myself!"

Alfred leaned back against his seat. Emil continued to sob. Leon remained speechless.

"All we have to do is to purify him," Arthur said, "and he will be able to function normally again."

"But Arthur, evidence shows that the root of their misdeed is more than a simple demon's trick," Alfred held out the documents and waved them in the air. "How do you explain Leon's situation?"

Yao frowned and glimpsed his mentee anxiously.

"He's obtained emotions through other means. His act of covering up for his partner defies the heaven's rule. This is a manifestation of impure love, which by the way is forbidden between them in this heaven."

"You mean…" Yao gasped.

"It's been reported." Alfred sighed. "These two are in love with each other."

The court became silent at once. Yao didn't try to defend Leon anymore. Arthur had retreated to one corner shaking his head and rubbing his temples.

A tear slipped out of Leon's eyes for the first time when Emil's chain was tugged and he was hauled out of the court. His wails echoed.

"I just…wish…to know," Arthur stuttered. "What will…become of them?"

Alfred stared at the two older angels nonchalantly.

"Executed."

Both Arthur and Yao winced a little but said no more. They left the court.

* * *

Emil leaned against the wall. Through the bars, he could see Leon in the opposite cell. His skin was scraped. Blood covered his body. The place reeked of iron and despair.

"Leon…" He managed to stammer. He reached for the bars, dragging the chains with him. "Leon…do you hear me?" He whined. Never had he thought emotions would have made him feel so vulnerable. Now he understood what humans went through all the time. Every single day. Happiness. Frustration. Pleasure. Wrath. Sadness.

"I'm so sorry…"

Guilt.

Remorse.

"No..." Leon coughed up some blood and crawled to the bars. "Not your fault. I've been feeling this way for quite a while. Thought I've gone insane or something. It's, like, someone is nailing my chest. I didn't believe it at first. I used to keep reminding myself of my identity…of my loyalty to Lord…but this feeling has only gotten more serious as time rolled on…it's not even about demons anymore. I developed my love for you on my own."

"Are we going to hell?" Emil asked no one in particular. He wanted to break through the bars and hug Leon. Take him into his arms. Stroke his swollen cheeks. Tend to his wounds.

Their wings were ripped off. The pain amounted to being torn alive. It was the most unbearable humiliation ever.

Not just physically. But mentally.

They had been reduced to nothing but mere souls. Fallen souls. Fragmented. Ready to be discarded from the heaven.

The door creaked open. Emil snapped open his eyes. Arthur yanked him up and broke the chain.

Yao wrecked the door of Leon's cell. He scooped the shivering body up and exchanged a nod with Arthur.

"A-Arthur?" Emil frowned at his mentor.

"We've been told to offer you a second chance." Arthur helped the younger boy up and led him out of the cell. "But you'll be cast out from here."

Emil hobbled towards his unconscious lover. Every joint in his body ached with searing pain. It felt as if his soul was being burnt alive.

"Leon." He kissed the head and embraced him. The dark-haired soul clung to him, eyes shut tightly in anguish.

They were led to the portal. Placed on the ground. Lying next to each other.

Leon finally opened his eyes and realised that Emil was holding his hand. They looked at each other before the handle was pulled.

Arthur and Yao stood away from the opening portal. Light enveloped them. They fell.

Down to the earth below.

* * *

The alarm clock went off.

"Leon! Get your ass here now or we're gonna be late!" Emil yelped from the kitchen. Minutes later, he stomped upstairs and booted open their bedroom door. The Asian curled up in the blanket, refusing to roll off bed.

"Leon!" Emil growled and pulled the blanket off, earning a grunt from Leon. The Chinese boy slowly sat up on their bed and rubbed his eyes.

"Uh…what time is it?"

"Nine freaking thirty! You lazy-bones! We're gonna miss our class!" Emil snarled and dragged the other boy out of the room.

They finished their breakfast in ten minutes and raced down the street.

"Geez, would you please stop playing video games overnight?" Emil croaked as they chased after the bus to their university. "You don't know how much of a hassle it is for me to live with someone like you!"

"Is that meant to be a complaint or a love confession of some sort?" Leon smirked and got smacked upside the head.

They got on the bus and settled down on the last row.

"Hey, I had weird dream last night," the Asian boy piped up while munching on a peach bun he grabbed last second from their home.

"What?" Emil looked up from his mobile phone and cocked his brows. He rolled his eyes and took out a napkin to wipe the food crumbs off Leon's cheek. "You know you really need to start taking care of yourself more."

"Why do I need to do so when I already have such a caring wife?"

"Shut up." Emil blushed and pinched him. "So, what about the dream?"

Leon giggled and nestled his head against Emil's shoulder, "Anyway, in that dream, we were two angels and collecting souls was part of our duties."

"Really?" Emil blinked curiously down at his boyfriend and ruffled his hair, "So what happened to us?"

"I forgot the details." Leon shrugged. "But something happened. This and that. And then here we are. BOOM~"

"Jerk." Emil snorted and kissed the head full of dark locks. Soft and aromatic. Just like…feathers.

The bus drifted past a construction site. Two silhouettes landed on top of an abandoned building. Emil blinked.

"What's wrong?" Leon looked up and stroked his partner's cheek.

Emil shook his head slowly and smiled back at Leon. "Nothing…thought I just saw someone on the rooftop…with wings."

"You know, you've been hanging out with Lukas too much lately," Leon teased and stole a kiss from his lips.

"And I know you and Mathias are trying to build a giant lego house." Emil laughed and kissed back. "What an idiot."

* * *

The silhouette stood up from his crouching position.

"I…I can't do it aru…" Yao whimpered. Tears trickled down his cheeks.

Arthur gasped.

"He looks too much like Leon…" Yao cried.

"Yao, what's happened?" The dark angel loomed closer to his partner and clutched his wrists. "What's happened to you?"

"A demon called Ivan came to me…He offered me a deal to retrieve Leon…"

"What?" Arthur blanched and tightened his grip on Yao's hands.

"I declined." Yao looked away and sobbed, "And fought back. But he was too strong…he did something to me. I couldn't help feeling weird afterwards…"

"Damn it," Arthur cursed under his breath.

"Is the plank going to fall on the back of the bus and crush them?" Yao gripped the rim of Arthur's shirt and stared at him imploringly, "Are we really going to watch them die?"

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Arthur peered down and glimpsed the bus going downhill.

"I…I can't do it…" Yao shook his head repeatedly. "I will never be able to take another human's soul again…"

Arthur released his partner. He flapped his dark wings and leapt into the air.

 _"I won't let you fall alone, my dear."_


End file.
